Yale Teammates Complete “Run for Mandi”

Oct 09, 2011

Group Raised Funds for Mandi Schwartz Memorial Bursary at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame

NEW YORK – Three former Yale women's ice hockey players -- Alyssa Clarke '09, Bray Ketchum '11 and Jackee Snikeris '11 -- completed the "Run for Mandi" on Sunday, Oct. 9, in memory of their former Bulldog teammate Mandi Schwartz '10 (1988-2011), who passed away in April at the age of 23 after battling leukemia for more than two years. Former Yale softball player Lauren Huddleston '10 was a part of the group as well. The Bulldogs ran the 13.1-mile New York Road Runners Staten Island Half-Marathon as a fundraiser for the Mandi Schwartz Memorial Bursary at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, Mandi's high school.

"Mandi's story traveled around the nation and across the globe, touching many people's lives," Snikeris said. "She was and still is an inspiration to my team at Yale, the bigger Yale and hockey communities, and to many families who are fighting this disease. Her enthusiasm, spirit and love for life continued to shine every day. No matter how much pain she was in, she never showed it. She kept a stationary bike in every one of her hospital rooms and was biking at home two days before she passed. Mandi was a warrior."

The group ran as "Team Mandilion", named in honor of one of Mandi's favorite stretching exercises. They wore t-shirts with her number, 17, on the back.

The Mandi Schwartz Memorial Bursary is a fund at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Mandi's home town of Wilcox, Sask. It offers financial assistance to future Notre Dame Hounds and to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada.

"Mandi was a leader, scholar and tremendous athlete at Notre Dame and prided herself in the ideals of the school," Snikeris said. "Their philosophy was to teach the students 'Achievement with character.' Mandi carried herself in this manner every day of her life – she was self-less, hard working and determined to make those around her feel special. Mandi was a true friend."